Skip to main content

Role of Mapks During Plant-Insect Interaction

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Plant-Pest Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Chemical Ecology
  • 986 Accesses

Abstract

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are components of one of the early signaling events during plant-insect interactions. MAPK cascade proceeds in three steps where MAPKKK phosphorylates MAPKK, which further phosphorylates MAPK. MAPK activation further triggers downstream cascade of events that include alteration in the levels of plant hormones, reshaping the transcriptome and proteome, leading to plant defense against insect. In this chapter, we examined different MAPKs with special attention to their roles in triggering defense responses in various plants in response to insect attack. We discuss the role of known MAPKs, which have been identified and characterized from various plant species till date, specifically during plant-insect interaction. However, there was limited information available regarding the molecular mechanisms and genes encoding receptors during insect attack. We focused more on the three-tiered MAPK, their interaction leading to altered hormone levels finally resulting in defense responses in plants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Asai T, Tena G, Plotnikova J, Willmann MR, Chiu WL, Gomez-Gomez L, Boller T, Ausubel FM, Sheen J (2002) MAP kinase signalling cascade in Arabidopsis innate immunity. Nature 415:977–983

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bergmann DC, Lukowitz W, Somerville CR (2004) Stomatal development and pattern controlled by a MAPKK kinase. Science 304:1494–1497

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bodenhausen N, Reymond P (2007) Signaling pathways controlling induced resistance to insect herbivores in Arabidopsis. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 20:1406–1420

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bögre L, Calderini O, Binarova P, Mattauch M, Till S, Kiegerl S, Jonak C, Pollaschek C, Barker P, Huskisson NS, Hirt H, Heberle-Bors E (1999) A MAP kinase is activated late in plant mitosis and becomes localized to the plane of cell division. Plant Cell 11:101–113

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Calderini O, Bögre L, Vicento O, Binarova P, Heberle-Bors E, Wilson C (1998) A cell cycle regulated MAP kinase with a possible role in cytokinesis in tobacco cells. J Cell Sci 111:3091–3100

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chaiwongsar S, Otegui MS, Jester PJ, Monson SS, Krysan PJ (2006) The protein kinase genes MAP3K epsilon 1 and MAP3K epsilon 2 are required for pollen viability in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 48:193–205

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Champion A, Picaud A, Henry Y (2004) Reassessing the MAP3K and MAP4K relationships. Trends Plant Sci 9:123–129

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Wilkerson CG, Kuchar JA, Phinney BS, Howe GA (2005) Jasmonate-inducible plant enzymes degrade essential amino acids in the herbivore midgut. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:19237–19242

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • delPozo O, Pedley KF, Martin GB (2004) MAPKKKα is a positive regulator of cell death associated with both plant immunity and disease. EMBO J 23:3072–3082

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Desikan R, Hancock JT, Ichimura K, Shinozaki K, Neill SJ (2001) Harpin induces activation of the Arabidopsis mitogen-activated protein kinases AtMPK4 and AtMPK6. Plant Physiol 126:1579–1587

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Du B, Zhang W, Liu B, Hu J, Wei Z, Shi Z, He R, Zhu L, Chen R, Han B, He G (2009) Identification and characterization of Bph14, a gene conferring resistance to brown planthopper in rice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:22163–22168

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fürstenberg-Hägg J, Zagrobelny M, Bak S (2013) Plant defense against insect herbivores. Int J Mol Sci 14:10242–10297

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao M, Liu J, Bi D, Zhang Z, Cheng F, Chen S, Zhang Y (2008) MEKK1, MKK1/MKK2 and MPK4 function together in a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade to regulate innate immunity in plants. Cell Res 18:1190–1198

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Glazebrook J (2005) Contrasting mechanisms of defense against biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens. Annu Rev Phytopathol 43:205–227

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamel LP, Nicole MC, Sritubtim S, Morency MJ, Ellis M, Ehlting J, Beaudoin N, Barbazuk B, Klessig D, Lee J, Martin G, Mundy J, Ohashi Y, Scheel D, Sheen J, Xing T, Zhang S, Seguin A, Ellis BE (2006) Ancient signals: comparative genomics of plant MAPK and MAPKK gene families. Trends Plant Sci 11:192–198

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hanks SK, Quinn AM, Hunter T (1988) The protein kinase family: conserved features and deduced phylogeny of the catalytic domains. Science 241:42–52

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hazzalin CA, Mahadevan LC (2002) MAPK-regulated transcription: a continuously variable gene switch? Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 3:30–40

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • He C, Fong SHT, Yang D, Wang GL (1999) BWMK1, a novel MAP kinase induced by fungal infection and mechanical wounding in rice. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 12:1064–1073

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heinrich M, Baldwin IT, Wu J (2011a) Three MAPK kinases, MEK1, SIPKK, and NPK2, are not involved in activation of SIPK after wounding and herbivore feeding but important for accumulation of trypsin proteinase inhibitors. Plant Mol Biol Report 30:731–740

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinrich M, Baldwin IT, Wu J (2011b) Two mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases, MKK1 and MEK2, are involved in wounding- and specialist lepidopteran herbivore Manduca sexta-induced responses in Nicotianaattenuata. J Exp Bot 62:4355–4365

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hettenhausen C, Schuman MC, Wu J (2015) MAPK signaling: a key element in plant defense response to insects. Insect Sci 22:157–164

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins R, Lockwood T, Holley S, Yalamanchili R, Stratmann JW (2007) Changes in extracellular pH are neither required nor sufficient for activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in response to systemin and fusicoccin in tomato. Planta 225:1535–1546

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holley SR, Yalamanchili RD, Moura DS, Ryan CA, Stratmann JW (2003) Convergence of signaling pathways induced by systemin, oligosaccharide elicitors, and ultraviolet-B radiation at the level of mitogen-activated protein kinases in Lycopersicon peruvianum suspension-cultured cells. Plant Physiol 132:1728–1738

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ichimura MAPK Group (2002) Mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades in plants: a new nomenclature. Trends Plant Sci 7:301–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ichimura K, Mizoguchi T, Yoshida R, Yuasa T, Shinozaki K (2000) Various abiotic stresses rapidly activate Arabidopsis MAP kinases ATMPK4 and ATMPK6. Plant J 24:655–666

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ichimura K, Casais C, Peck SC, Shinozaki K, Shirasu K (2006) MEKK1 is required for MPK4 activation and regulates tissue-specific and temperature-dependent cell death in Arabidopsis. J Biol Chem 281:36969–36976

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ju C, Yoon GM, Shemansky JM, Lin DY, Ying ZI, Chang J, Garrett WM, Kessenbrock M, Groth G, Tucker ML, Cooper B, Kieber JJ, Chang C (2012) CTR1 phosphorylates the central regulator EIN2 to control ethylene hormone signaling from the ER membrane to the nucleus in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:19486–19491

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kallenbach M, Alagna F, Baldwin IT, Bonaventure G (2010) Nicotiana attenuate SIPK, WIPK, NPR1, and fatty acid-amino acid conjugates participate in the induction of jasmonic acid biosynthesis by affecting early enzymatic steps in the pathway. Plant Physiol 152:96–106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kaloshian I (2004) Gene-for-gene disease resistance: bridging insect pest and pathogen defense. J Chem Ecol 30:2419–2438

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kandoth PK, Ranf S, Pancholi SS, Jayanty S, Walla MD, Miller W, Howe GA, Lincoln DE, Stratmann JW (2007) Tomato MAPKs LeMPK1, LeMPK2, and LeMPK3 function in the systemin-mediated defense response against herbivorous insects. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:12205–12210

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kendrick MD, Chang C (2008) Ethylene signaling: new levels of complexity and regulation. Curr Opin Plant Biol 11:479–485

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kiegerl S, Cardinale F, Siligan C, Gross A, Baudouin E, Liwosz A, Eklof S, Till S, Bogre L, Hirt H, Meskiene I (2000) SIMKK, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase, is a specific activator of the salt stress-induced MAPK, SIMK. Plant Cell 12:2247–2258

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kong Q, Qu N, Gao M, Zhang Z, Ding X, Yang F, Li Y, Dong OX, Chen S, Li X, Zhang Y (2012) The MEKK1-MKK1/MKK2-MPK4 kinase cascade negatively regulates immunity mediated by a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 24:2225–2236

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kovtun Y, Chiu WL, Tena G, Sheen J (2000) Functional analysis of oxidative stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:2940–2945

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Krysan PJ, Jester PJ, Gottwald JR, Sussman MR (2002) An Arabidopsis mitogen-activated protein kinase kinasekinase gene family encodes essential positive regulators of cytokinesis. Plant Cell 14:1109–1120

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lee S, Hirt H, Lee Y (2001) Phosphatidic acid activates a wound-activated MAPK in Glycine max. Plant J 26(5):479–486

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee DE, Lee IJ, Han O, Baik MG, Han SS, Back K (2004) Pathogen resistance of transgenic rice plants expressing mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, MK1, from Capsicum annuum. Mol Cell 17:81–85

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Q, Xie QG, Smith-Becker J, Navarre DA, Kaloshian I (2006) Mi-1-mediated aphid resistance involves salicylic acid and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 19:655–664

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Zhang S (2004) Phosphorylation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase by MPK6, a stress-responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase, induces ethylene biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 16:3386–3399

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Schiff M, Dinesh-Kumar SP (2004) Involvement of MEK1 MAPKK, NTF6 MAPK, WRKY/MYB transcription factors, COI1 and CTR1 in N-mediated resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. Plant J 38:800–809

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lukowitz W, Roeder A, Parmenter D, Somerville C (2004) A MAPKK kinase gene regulates extra-embryonic cell fate in Arabidopsis. Cell 116:109–119

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maffei ME, Mithofer A, Boland W (2007) Before gene expression: early events in plant–insect interaction. Trends Plant Sci 12:310–316

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGurl B, Orozco-Cardenas ML, Pearce G, Ryan CA (1994) Overexpression of the prosystemin gene in transgenic tomato plants generates a systemic signal that constitutively induces proteinase inhibitor synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:9799–9980

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Meng X, Wang H, He Y, Liu Y, Walker JC, Torii KU, Zhang S (2012) A MAPK cascade downstream of ERECTA receptor-like protein kinase in regulating Arabidopsis inflorescence architecture by promoting localized cell proliferation. Plant Cell 24:4948–4960

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mousavi SA, Chauvin A, Pascaud F, Kellenberger S, Farmer EE (2013) GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE genes mediate leaf-to-leaf wound signalling. Nature 500(7463):422–426

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakagami H, Pitzschke A, Hirt H (2005) Emerging MAP kinase pathways in plant stress signalling. Trends Plant Sci 10:339–346

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakagami H, Soukupova H, Schikora A, Zarsky V, Hirt H (2006) A mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase mediates reactive oxygen species homeostasis in arabidopsis. J Biol Chem 281:38697–38704

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nühse TS, Peck SC, Hirt H, Boller T (2000) Microbial elicitors induce activation and dual phosphorylation of the Arabidopsis thaliana MAPK 6. J Biol Chem 275(11):7521–7526

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce G, Moura D, Stratmann J, Ryan CA (2001) Production of multiple plant hormones from a single polyprotein precursor. Nature 411:817–820

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qiao H, Shen Z, Huang SS, Schmitz RJ, Urich MA, Briggs SP, Ecker JR (2012) Processing and subcellular trafficking of ER-tethered EIN2 control response to ethylene gas. Science 338:390–393

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu JL, Zhou L, Yun BW, Nielsen HB, Fiil BK, Petersen K, Mackinlay J, Loake GJ, Mundy J, Morris PC (2008) Arabidopsis mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases MKK1 and MKK2 have overlapping functions in defense signaling mediated by MEKK1, MPK4, and MKS1. Plant Physiol 148:212–222

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rakwal R, Agrawal GK (2003) Wound signaling-coordination of the octadecanoid and MAPK pathways. Plant Physiol Biochem 41:855–861

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ren D, Liu Y, Yang KY, Han L, Mao G, Glazebrook J, Zhang S (2008) A fungal-responsive MAPK cascade regulates phytoalexin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. PNAS USA 105:5638–5643

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan CA (2000) The systemin signaling pathway: differential activation of plant defensive genes. Biochim Biophys Acta 1477:112–121

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schafer M, Fischer C, Meldau S, Seebald E, Oelmuller R, Baldwin IT (2011) Lipase activity in insect oral secretions mediates defense responses in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 156:1520–1534

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffer R, Landgraf J, Accerbi M, Vernadette S, Larson M, Wisman E (2001) Microarray analysis of diurnal and circadian-regulated genes in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 13:113–123

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenbeck MA, Samac DA, Fedorova M, Gregerson RG, Gantt JS, Vance CP (1999) The alfalfa (Medicago sativa) TDY1gene encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase homolog. Mol Plant–Microbe Interact 12:882–893

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seo S, Okamoto M, Seto H, Ishizuka K, Sano H, Ohashi Y (1995) Tobacco MAP kinase: a possible mediator in wound signal transduction pathways. Science 270:1988–1992

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seo S, Sano H, Ohashi Y (1999) Jasmonate-based wound signal transduction requires activation of WIPK, a tobacco mitogen-activated protein kinase. Plant Cell 11:289–298

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Seo S, Katou S, Seto H, Gomi K, Ohashi Y (2007) The mitogen-activated protein kinases WIPK and SIPK regulate the levels of jasmonic and salicylic acids in wounded tobacco plants. Plant J 49:899–909

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steppuhn A, Baldwin IT (2007) Resistance management in a native plant: nicotine prevents herbivores from compensating for plant protease inhibitors. Ecol Lett 10:499–511

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stratmann J (2008) MAP kinases in plant responses to herbivory. In: Schaller A (ed) Induced plant resistance to herbivory. Springer, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8182-8_16

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stratmann JW, Ryan CA (1997) Myelin basic protein kinase activity in tomato leaves is induced systemically by wounding and increases in response to systemin and oligosaccharide elicitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94:11085–11089

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stratmann JW, Stelmach BA, Weiler EW, Ryan CA (2000) UVB/UVA radiation activates a 48 kDa myelin basic protein kinase and potentiates wound signaling in tomato leaves. Photochem Photobiol 71:116–123

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suarez-Rodriguez MC, Adams-Phillips L, Liu Y, Wang H, Su SH, Jester PJ, Zhang S, Bent AF, Krysan PJ (2007) MEKK1 is required for flg22-induced MPK4 activation in Arabidopsis plants. Plant Physiol 143:661–669

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Takabatake R, Shigemi S, Ito N, Gotoh Y, Mitsuhara I, Ohashi Y (2006) Involvement of wound-induced receptor-like protein kinase in the wound signal transduction in tobacco plant. Plant J 47:249–257

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tanoue T, Adachi M, Moriguchi T, Nishida E (2000) A conserved docking motif in MAP kinases common to substrates, activators and regulators. Nat Cell Biol 2:110–116

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walling LL (2000) The myriad plant responses to herbivores. J. Plant Growth Regul 19:195–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Ngwenyama N, Liu Y, Walker JC, Zhang S (2007) Stomatal development and patterning are regulated by environmentally responsive mitogen-activated protein kinases in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 19:63–73

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • War AR, Paulraj MG, Ahmad T, Buhroo AA, Hussain B, Ignacimuthu S, Sharma HC (2012) Mechanisms of plant defense against insect herbivores. Plant Signal Behav 7:1306–1320

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wasternack C (2007) Jasmonates: an update on biosynthesis, signal transduction and action in plant stress response, growth and development. Ann Bot 100:681–697

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Baldwin IT (2010) New insights into plant responses to the attack from insect herbivores. Annu Rev Genet 44:1–24

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu WJ, Hettenhausen C, Meldau S, Baldwin IT (2000) Herbivory rapidly activates MAPK signaling in attacked and unattacked leaf regions but not between leaves of Nicotianaattenuata. Plant Cell 19:1096–1122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Hettenhausen C, Meldau S, Baldwin IT (2007) Herbivory rapidly activates MAPK signaling in attacked and unattacked leaf regions but not between leaves of Nicotiana attenuata. Plant Cell 19:1096–1122

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yang KY, Liu Y, Zhang S (2001) Activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is involved in disease resistance in tobacco. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:741–746

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yuasa T, Ichimura K, Mizoguchi T, Shinozaki K (2001) Oxidative stress activates AtMPK6, an Arabidopsis homologue of MAP kinase. Plant Cell Physiol 42:1012–1016

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zebelo SA, Maffei ME (2015) Role of early signalling events in plant–insect interactions. J Exp Bot 66:435–448

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S, Klessig DF (1998) The tobacco wounding-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase is encoded by SIPK. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:7225–7230

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Manjeet, K., Yadav, S. (2021). Role of Mapks During Plant-Insect Interaction. In: Singh, I.K., Singh, A. (eds) Plant-Pest Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Chemical Ecology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2467-7_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics